Facade
by Regaime Seishi
Summary: “As of now you are no longer Near. You were never Near. From now on you think as Ryuzaki, as L. You act as he does, as you have practiced. Understand?” “Of course I understand...Near,” the new L replied. :alternative to L being dead:
1. Rendezvous

NOTE: THIS FIC TAKES PLACE IN THE MIDDLE OF VOLUME 7, FROM CHAPTER 56: "EMBRACE"ON, DIRECTLY AFTER THE HANDCUFFS CONSTRAINING RYUZAKI AND LIGHT ARE REMOVED. HOWEVER, ONE MUST HAVE READ ALL OF VOLUME 7 TO UNDERSTAND THE STORY LINE.

Façade

Deneuve

Prelude: Contact

"Near, this is L," a scrambled voice said, echoing throughout the cramped orphanage room.

The one called Near opened his eyes from his position on the ground, where he had previously been meditating in order to concentrate on a certain problematic scenario he'd just formulated. He climbed into the chair by his desk computer, sitting with one knee to his chest and spoke clearly into the mic set up in front of him.

"Yes, L? This is Near," he answered.

"Verify this," came the scratchy voice again.

"V847B. This is Near," the boy said, as if he were bored. A lone finger twirled a lock of white hair almost subconsciously as the conversation continued.

"I am setting up a place and time in which we can meet," the one named L told the boy, "You can assume this means I have chosen you as the successor to the L name."

"I thought as much," the boy, now L's heir, replied. His finger released the strand of hair it encompassed. He said no more, because it was clear he understood the other's motives if one only looked into his distant, charcoal eyes.

"I'll be in touch," L promised, a piece of emotion escaping his monotone. It was gone before Near could even acknowledge it, lost within the static of the transmission.

Chapter 1: Rendezvous 

A message came a day later, instructing Near to meet L in a secluded office. His alibi was that he was merely paying a visit to the town's new psychologist because of anxiety he was feeling over constantly competing with an equally intelligent rival. This was true in part; he was in constant competition with Mello, but he never felt anxiety over it. If anything, he felt completely confident in his abilities to outsmart him. The reverse side of this alibi was easy. "L" was already a licensed psychologist. He had to be; otherwise there would be no reasonable application of his logic.

Near arrived at a sheltered, run-down building that masked the fact a world-famous genius resided there for the time being. Any passerby would dismiss the rusty sign saying, "Dr. Cane – Psychologist" as a joke. 'How could a good psychologist have an office in such a dank place?' they would say. But the human mind is easily tricked.

"Thank you, Roger," Near said as he exited the average-looking car.

This was another part of the alibi; his orders were to always seem completely inconspicuous. The man nodded and drove away without a word of dismissal. The boy didn't need to be told in order to know the man wished him luck from the bottom of his heart; that was what emerged after living his entire life with the man. It was akin to father and son, though Roger viewed all the children at the institution his sons and daughters.

As Near approached the entrance, he immediately noticed the sign and almost smiled. Instead he climbed the steps and entered the building, noting the hidden security items every which way.

An old man sat in the lobby of the office, which only had enough chairs for pair of people. He was reading a newspaper intently, pretending not to notice the young man who had just entered. Near saw his eyes flick to him for an instant as he changed the page and then he hid them in the shadow of his black top hat.

"Verify," the old man muttered as Near took the seat next to him.

"V847B. I am Near," he recited.

"L is waiting for you through that door."

The old man nodded toward the correct portal and then returned to his paper as if his meeting with the boy had never occurred. Near entered this room now, his eyes adjusting to the dimmed lighting. 'Dr. Cane' perched on a loveseat with both knees to his chest, his face hidden in darkness.

"Verify," he ordered, his deep, smooth voice faultless.

"V847B. I am Near," the boy repeated, taking a seat opposite his employer; his finger immediately began twirling his silver hair.

"Hello, Near," he greeted, flicking the light next to the small couch brighter so that his face was revealed.

Black eyes scrutinized the other pair for a moment and then L smiled in a childish, innocent way. The boy across from him smiled back; this was the gesture of saying, "Good to see you after so long, friend."

Though, admitting they were 'friends' would be inaccurate, since they had never actually met before. L's name and face were kept completely secret from the orphans in Watari's institution, in case any of them were ever tempted to betray him to the countless enemies he had made during his short life. The truth would be closer to saying, "Nice to meet you,"; it was a sign of trust.

"You may call me Ryuzaki. Get accustomed to it because it is now your name as well. If you haven't already figured it out, the reason I am meeting you is because my position as L is being stressed beyond my realm of comfort."

He paused and waited for Near to nod, which he did. He had calculated this much from what he'd gathered from the Japanese News, Sakura TV, and the fact that Kira hadn't been caught yet. But he sensed now there was more behind this meeting than he'd originally resolved.

"This isn't the only reason you are here. The truth is that I am almost ready to give up the name 'L'. This is a final test to see whether you are really the one to be my successor."

Again, Near nodded; this was not out of his scope of reasoning. Everything Ryuzaki was saying made complete sense to him from what he'd felt moments before. He knew how important this position was.

"As of now, you are no longer Near. You were never Near. Near is the name of one of the orphans at Watari's institution who is most likely to become your successor. You must not think of yourself as Near anymore. From now on you think as Ryuzaki, as 'L', Eraldo Coil, Hideki Ryuga, Deneuve. You act as he does, as you have practiced. You think as he does, as you have been taught. Understand?"

"Of course I understand…Near," the new L replied.

The new Near smiled, pleased with his successor's potential. Nothing needed to be explained, as expected. Nothing needed to be said twice, as expected. This boy was as much a genius as he was. The only question that dangled in front of him was: would this boy be able to win against Kira?

A/n- what did you think? Is it good or no? Let me know via REPLY!!! I'll admit this is as far as I've gotten because I wanted to post as soon as possible, but I assure you I do not desert the fics I feel strongly about, and this is one of them. I have another fic about to be finished at the moment but…sometimes one needs a change. I know I do. Soo…right, let me persuade you this is a RYUZAKI fic and not about Near at all, except for the part he plays in the first few chapters. Ryuzaki will be watching from the sidelines, safe and sound for the time being. (which is where I like him T.T)

NOTE: All negative energies (in the form of writing) will be given to Ryuzaki in order to catch Kira.

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DEATH NOTE. IF I DID THEN THIS FIC WOULD BE TRUE! (and many would be dead. Hehe)


	2. Clone

A/n- so here's chapter 2. it should be better than 1, as 1 was more of an intro…so enjoy! Chapter 2: Clone 

The former L, now known as Near, had continued to explain any shred of information his successor would need in order to bring this case to a close. It would be a challenge and he was risking his life; the new Ryuzaki knew this, but he also relished such a thing. Lately, days at the institution were quiet and uneventful. Even the constant competition with Mello had become a chore hardly worth his energy; Mello was still just so…immature. Not that _he_ wasn't immature, but at least he didn't run around flaunting it while constantly chomping on a chocolate bar.

He had asked why he was chosen, despite the fact it was an inappropriate question. The answer had come, however, without ridicule on asking it. The new L had to look and act exactly as the old one and the new Near had to do the same for his _own _counterpart. Mello wasn't the type of person to be able to do such a thing. That and the new L doubted he would be able to sacrifice eating chocolate for the good of the assignment.

So therefore it was up to him now; there was no room for mistake. 'L' did not make mistakes, not typically anyway, and especially not concerning his thought process or his peculiar habits. The new L had to be a clone, a doppelganger; indeed, there was no room for error.

XXX

L exited the building hours later after being transformed into a completely different person; now he was Near and had to think of himself as such. It took three minutes from the time he called Roger to when the man pulled up in front of the building's entrance; he had undoubtedly been parked a block or two away. Before he walked out the door he stopped and turned to the old man with the newspaper. His dark eyes grew sad and distant as he regarded his former right-hand man, and then against his better judgment he issued a word or two of parting.

"Until next time. This is goodbye, Wammy," he said, his old voice escaping him.

The old man's eyes met his and within them Near could see the promise of meeting again, as well as the promise that he would do everything in his power to keep the new L safe, just as he had with the old one.

With that he walked away without waiting for a response, for he knew this was enough of one, quelling the sorrow in his heart. There was a good possibility he would never encounter the old man again, despite the man's hope, but he wouldn't let that weaken his thought process.

Though he had expected to feel relieved as he stepped through the door, instead the weight on his shoulders set heavier. What he was doing was cowardly; Ryuzaki, no matter how intelligent he was, would probably fail. To be honest, Near didn't expect him to succeed. But these were the measures he had to take in order to bring Kira's victims to justice. Ryuzaki would be sending him information through Watari, so he would still be able to keep up with the Kira case. Now he would just be working on the sidelines, as he had been in the very beginning.

This in mind, he climbed into the car where Roger waited patiently. The man's brow furrowed as he peered at Near through the rear-view mirror and then he sighed wistfully, as if knowing this day would eventually come.

"Hello, Near," he greeted as the boy took his usual position in the back seat; one would never be able to catch the moment of discomfort that crossed his face.

"Hello, Roger," he replied smoothly, his voice now disguised.

As Near arrived at the institution, he went immediately to his room. He passed Mello on the way, but the boy was too busy eating a chocolate bar and openly glaring at his rival to pay any attention to the slight differences in Near's features. But then again, Mello often missed the more important, smaller details when emotion was involved; it was one of the reasons he was disguised as he was.

Now the boy stared at himself in the mirror, wondering if what he did was right. His mind told him yes, that this was the best course of action in order to catch Kira, but his heart wasn't so sure. It still felt like he was running away from death.

His musings were halted as he heard the soft 'click' of the doorknob and then Mello strode in. He leaned against the wall next to where Near was seated, licking his newest treat.

"So, where were you today?" he asked, though his tone clearly gave away the fact he demanded an explanation.

Nonetheless, Near ignored him; he didn't feel like answering. As Ryuzaki, he would have come up with some truthful-sounding joke, but Near would not do this; he would merely dismiss the question.

"Rumor has it you are now L's successor," Mello stated to try a different approach, folding his arms so that his mouth could still reach the candy in his left hand.

"That is incorrect. I was merely called in for another test," Near provided.

He didn't want anyone to know 'Near' had been chosen as the new L. This would increase any suspicion later on that they had switched identities. He had to make Mello believe he was still only a _possible _candidate or else his plan could be compromised.

Mello sneered at him, wordlessly telling him that he was jealous and that he vowed to outdo his rival when the time came for _his_ meeting with L. Sensing this would be a problem, Near continued.

"L and I did not meet. He had to cancel at the last minute because of the Kira case."

"Then next time tell me when you're meeting him. I don't want to miss anything that would prove I will be a better L."

"Of course, Mello," Near replied, thinking at the same time, 'It's a bit late for that…'

The boy left promptly after making his point. Near relaxed slightly, content to be alone once more; he had always felt safer and more at ease when he was in his own company.

Fatigue ripped through him suddenly, not surprising him in the least; it had been four hours since he'd had any sort of sugar. From now on though, he had to be Near, so sweets were out of the question. He wondered if his addiction would get the better of him; Mello's chocolate _had_ looked pretty inviting. But he knew he could handle any physical downfalls to this sudden change in diet; he had no choice in the matter and it would be healthier for him, actually. His only concern was the effect it would have on his deductive reasoning; already it was down 20 percent due to the fact he had to sit with only one knee to his chest from now on.

Dismissing these thoughts, he changed into his pajamas and took one last look at himself in the mirror. He hardly recognized himself with the silver-white hair, shorter cut, and the lack of eyeliner to cover the bags under his eyes. It surprised him, only making his confidence in playing this role heighten; if he could fool himself, he surmised, he could certainly fool the rest of the world and Kira as well.

He climbed under the covers of his bed, feeling awkward; it had been years since he'd slept laying down, or had _decided_ to sleep. He gathered his knees to his chest, curling up like a cat beneath the sheets. His feet overlapped one another to keep in position, leaving his hands free to rest at his chin. Thoughts ran through his mind, each one even more brilliant than the last, until they blended together and eventually faded into dreams.

XXX

Ryuzaki exited his room the next morning, as if he had been there the entire night. In truth, he had been flying back to Japan via L's private jet; after landing he'd reentered the Kira case headquarters by a passage only he and Watari knew about. Well, Near knew about it too; it went without saying.

It was the second morning of his being free from Light. However, this would be the first time he actually met the man. Light Yagami was supposedly free of suspicion, but Ryuzaki, and Near as well, weren't convinced; there were too many factors that didn't add up, such as, why hadn't Kira killed Light and Misa if he was merely controlling them?

That and the abrupt behavioral change that had occurred in the cell…what had Light said before that happened? _'I'll just have to get rid of it…'_ The sentence had seemed so…dramatic, unnecessary; it wasn't like Light to be that way…unless he said it purposely. If the Kira power could be handed off so easily, with only a well-placed phrase…everything would fit. Misa's behavior had changed abruptly as well, as if she had no idea what was going on. But her words had been different; _'I can't take it anymore…' _They could easily be taken to mean the Kira power. The rest of the investigation team thought she had merely cracked, but Ryuzaki wasn't convinced of that. He didn't believe he would have suspected either of them if not for something he wasn't seeing…something subliminal. Perhaps it was just a certain look in their eyes…

If he could find out what that something was, then he could easily catch Kira. The only problem would be evidence. If only he could find a way to prove his suspicions were correct…right now he had a strong feeling that the answer lay within the Shinigami.

So his first course of action was to interrogate this Shinigami known as Rem. A thought occurred to him suddenly, causing his muscles to tense; was the Shinigami able to know a person's name just by looking at them? If so, there was no doubt Rem would notice the sudden name change. Hadn't Near thought of that? What good was his disguise if there was a chance the Shinigami was able to see right through it? Should he even risk contact with the otherworldly god?

No, he reasoned; secluding himself now after being exposed for so long would merely cause suspicion among the rest of the investigation team. Besides that, it didn't seem as if the Shinigami was on anyone's particular side. It wouldn't matter at all to a God of Death if a human suddenly switched identities. Perhaps if they were curious creatures, Rem _might_ have asked, but the nature of the Shinigami seemed to be indifference toward the human race. Even if he _did_ mention the change, he could easily make up an alibi. It would jeopardize the mission significantly, but if it was necessary…there was no other option if that happened.

One thing was certain; he wouldn't know until he tested the theory out and stalling this in order to ponder things he couldn't prove yet would only waste valuable time. So, without further delay, Ryuzaki took the elevator the first floor.

He had prepared himself to encounter the Shinigami, but his resolve fled as he laid eyes on the creature; the black orbs widened at the sight. He collected himself quickly; his mishap had only lasted a second and had avoided detection, but that short amount of time was all anyone needed in order to see through his disguise. Perhaps the others would be fooled with a simple, "I have yet to get used to you, Rem," but Light would not. Light knew 'L' wasn't fazed by anything twice and he had already used up his quota the moment he had touched the Death Note.

He carried this particular item now; he had received it after the meeting with Near and had taken the liberty of examining its contents the previous night. He assumed Light would protest his taking the notebook, for the man's eyes narrowed as he now noticed his presence. But because that would make Light seem suspicious, he kept his tongue; Ryuzaki knew his reasoning revolved around the fact Light had only been _recently_ cleared, or so he believed.

"Good morning, Light-Kun," Ryuzaki greeted, climbing onto the couch with the notebook in hand.

Light paused and his eyes widened to a questioning stare as he watched Ryuzaki climb onto the couch and settle into his normal position. He ordered an ice cream cone from Watari, who had beaten him downstairs, and then called Rem over. The Shinigami stood in front of him, the creature's feet only barely touching the ground. Ryuzaki held the notebook up to the God of Death by his thumbs and forefingers and began the interrogation again. After watching him for a while, Light spoke up.

"You seem…determined today, Ryuzaki," he stated thoughtfully, watching the other closely due to a certain suspicious feeling he couldn't quite place.

"I suppose I am determined," Ryuzaki replied, placing a thumb to his lips in deep contemplation, "I know the clues to solving this case are right in front of me, so I guess you could venture to say…I am excited as well to be so close to winning."

Ryuzaki smiled childishly, but there was a certain seriousness in his eyes. They seemed to give away the fact he was anything but a child and blatantly reminded the investigation team this young man was considered a genius detective. Perhaps the excitement he felt toward breaking into the truth of things gave him even more of an advantage.

XXX

Near awoke feeling, quite ironically actually, like a brand new person. This was the first time in years he had actually gotten a good night's sleep; for the past decade he had slept only when he dozed off during research due to fatigue. He was so used to living solely on the energy he got from sugar that he'd forgotten how good it felt to be this refreshed. His thoughts were clearer than ever; he hadn't thought this well in a _very _long time.

He spent the morning familiarizing himself with his new room. That however, took only a handful of minutes so he moved on to finishing a couple of the model airplanes whose packages were untouched; Near always finished them in one sitting.

Later on he went to breakfast, making sure he had the timing right. Then he proceeded to the library to work on some of the theories he had encoded on his computer and in various notebooks. That took the better half of the day. At last he returned to his room to incorporate his findings into his computer and then he began on the Kira case. Since no new information was sent from Watari yet, he opted to look over the facts of the case for the millionth time, willing for something new to click.

A/n- so it's getting better, right? Hope you enjoyed it. Reviews would be nice, of course.


	3. Failure

**Chapter 3: Failure**

Almost as soon as Ryuzaki sat down to interrogate the Shinigami, Misa appeared at the front of the hotel, waiting for Light to greet her. He did, and just as always the popular pop star was ecstatic to see him, or rather, this would have been the normal case. Today she seemed nervous, as if afraid of Light for some reason.

Ryuzaki watched the exchange between the two silently, waiting for some clue of the conversation. What he received was something different. For some reason his attention on the two wavered and his eyes shifted to the Shinigami. Whether it was instinct, a mistake, or just sheer luck, it didn't matter. What did was the look on the Shinigami's face when she saw Misa.

Information rushed to the forefront of Ryuzaki's mind. Misa had been suspected of being the second Kira. Rem definitely recognized Amane—that much was certain from the way the Death God's eyes widened—and it couldn't be Light because he had been in contact with the Shinigami before. So the inconsistency in this scenario was Misa. In addition to that, the Shinigami seemed…alarmed to see her, as if she wasn't supposed to be here, as if she was in danger. But what did it mean to him? Was Amane the second Kira once more or had she never stopped?

Had Ryuzaki enough time to question the Shinigami alone, he would have, but as soon as this moment passed and L's thoughts came together, Light was back, stoic-faced as usual. He seemed annoyed, for whatever reason, but Ryuzaki could not very well ask him why; the rest of the task force would harp on him for being so nosy and thus only weaken the shaky trust they held at the moment. That and it wasn't like Light would tell him the truth.

"That was fast, Yagami-Kun," he said instead.

Light turned to him with a questioning stare, so he explained, though it wasn't what he wanted to say. _Why_ was Light still hanging out with Misa? The girl was obviously in love with Light, but the thought that Light felt the same way about her was a laugh. The man blatantly showed his annoyance on his face whenever she demanded something of him, like his time and love and whatnot. So then the next most logical reason would be that he was using her, but for _what_? That was what bothered L; it seemed too shady to disregard, but if he mentioned it aloud, the others would ridicule him.

He needed proof, was what he needed. The former L was unsure whether or not Light was Kira, but this L was willing to bet his life on the fact. All the data he'd read just seemed too perfect, too much like a game of hide and seek. L would get closer, and Light would do something to decrease suspicion of himself. L would think of Light being a suspect again, and a piece of evidence that seemed way too convenient showed up knocking down the theory. L was taught to conduct his searches on three parts instinct and one part fact. The other L got too wrapped up in fact and didn't listen enough to his instinct, or rather, he let the rest of the task force doubt him and so he disregarded it. Perhaps that was why the former L had backed down; whatever the case, the new L vowed to best him at his game and prove he was good enough to work at L's side, as L, for the rest of his life.

Though it seemed he was partaking in this investigation with a bunch of imbeciles; all they did was slow him down, restrict his movements and make him doubt even himself. Now he fully understood why the previous L hadn't completely trusted his team even though they had claimed to die for their cause. Perhaps this alone proved him right. He returned to his interrogation out of frustration; things just didn't make any _sense_!

Another aspect of Light's constant presence unnerved him. Though it was supposed to be him watching to see if _Light_ slipped up and revealed himself, he had a itchy feeling that it was _he_ who was in fact being investigated. Light had free range of the world what with his release, and yet he hung around…was it purposely? Was it so he wouldn't go into hiding? Whatever the case, L had already succeeded if this was Light's goal and _he_, as L's heir, had too much pride and too much of a childish desire to win to run away with his tail between his legs. One thing was certain: if he died, Kira would die as well.

For now he could do nothing; Kira was dormant at the moment and suspicion was useless if that continued. Ryuzaki knew it was foolish to wish for the deaths to start again, but he couldn't help it. Without them, the criminals, the cannon fodder of the world, the Kira case could not be brought to an end.

:::The Next Day:::

"What's going on?!! The criminals are being killed again…?!"

So his wish had been granted…the killings began anew. Ryuzaki ignored the comments of those around him and focused instead on Light's face the man cursed Kira's name. The act, to anyone else in the room, would have seemed natural. In fact, it looked natural to Ryuzaki as well, but there was something intangible…a feeling he got when this perfect line escaped Light's lips. Was he merely being paranoid? No…everything seemed too coincidental. Light acted almost _too_ calm, as if…as if he had expected the killings to occur this soon. It almost said to him, 'now you _have _to continue investigating and cannot go into hiding'. Perhaps he could test some of his suspicions at the moment.

"This happens the moment Amane is freed…" he commented, crunching down on one of the panda cookies he had between his fingers. Soon, Kira would be there; he could feel it in the future.

But that wasn't what he focused on and was merely a small bit of his subconscious cheering him on. What he paid attention to was the Shinigami, Rem. He could see her in the reflection of his computer screen…_there it was!! _She looked alarmed again! Could it be that this Shinigami, this God of Death, had feelings for Misa? That would be the only explanation and that boded ill for him. Therefore he would have to make his move fast, but first there were some loose ends to tie up with the so-called 'rules' of the murder notebook.

If he believed the Shinigami was apathetic and didn't care what happened with the notebook, then believing her when she said the rules were correct would be acceptable. But if he believed the Shinigami was on Misa and Light's side…Kira's side, then the rules might not be true. If he believed that, then that would mean that perhaps the Shinigami was acting as a mere puppet for Kira to control. With Light's intellect, the Shinigami may not even know this yet. So the trick was to verify if the rules were false and keep dropping hints that Amane might be arrested…no, killed. That would surely put the Shinigami in a position to act out of character; she may even reveal Light to be Kira. If that happened, L would agree to grant Misa amnesty. This would mean, though, that he would need to speak with the Shinigami soon.

Success was his now; he could _feel _it! The look on the Shinigami's face was priceless! If she hadn't been an otherworldly creature, L would even suspect she had gone pale, though he may be wrong. That's right…keep talking as if Amane was to be killed if found out and pressure Rem into doing something extreme. But…now that he thought about it, what if the Shinigami went far enough to kill him? No…that could only be done with the notebook and he had it here in front of him. If the Shinigami made a move, he could always grab the notebook and protect himself with it.

He moved the mouse on the computer screen and it changed from a black screensaver to the trademark W set on a white background. He would lose sight of the Shinigami as he did, so he leaned forward a little more. If the Shinigami tried anything, he would still notice movement out of the corner of his eye and would be able to react accordingly. Therefore, he proceeded to instruct Watari in how to go about testing the 13-Day rule.

His instructions were met with silence, then a loud crash from the other end of the computer. Fear struck L's heart while reasoning tried to calm him down. _'He merely fell,'_ his mind assured him.

"What's wrong, Watari?" he asked, as calm as he could sound. When the man on the other side of the screen didn't answer, Ryuzaki climbed forward to grasp the sides of the computer, as if to shake the man into giving one. "Watari…?" he repeated, his voice wavering.

Seconds later, the computer responded with a loud beep and the letters, 'All data deleted' ran across the screen. Dread set in L's heart as a frown immediately adorned his face. His mind raced in panic as his heart mourned the man he once met, the man whose institution had allowed him to become such an important person. The vision of the old man, Quillish Wammy, sitting in the waiting room of the fake psychologist office rose to the surface of his mind. That man had given him a home. Now he was dead.

"Data deleted…? What's going on?" Light asked behind him. He could actually hear awe in the suspect's voice. Perhaps Kira hadn't expected this turn of events?

"I told Watari that if something ever happened to him, he should erase all the data he can. And to set his system up to erase automatically after a certain amount of time."

"If something happened to him…" Matsuda echoed, "You mean…like death…?"

Ryuzaki stayed silent but the urge to scream at this man was almost overpowering. Of course this meant Watari was killed!! What _else_ would it be!?! He narrowed his eyes in wrath, his sadness taking on new meaning. How could this had happened? The chances of Watari dying naturally at a time like this was preposterous! But who could have killed him!? The Death Note was sitting right in front of him!! Was it a fake? Was it…?

"Where's the Shinigami!?!" he yelled, whipping around to see the Death God gone. Rem shouldn't have a notebook, but they didn't _know _that! Assuming she did, all she would need to do was—!!

"Everyone, the Shiniga…"

He could feel his heart speed up and knew it was not from anxiety or fear. The spoon he held wavered as the voice of the police chief spoke to him, worried. The man's voice sounded different…louder, as if someone turned up the volume so much the speakers buzzed…

His heart throbbed again; he could feel it swell against his chest and slam against his ribs. Pain seized him and he shuddered. He was barely aware that he was falling out of the chair for all the pain he felt at that moment. Milliseconds later he could feel the cold floor beneath him and the clatter of the chair and the spoon he lost hold of echoed in his pounding ears. Light was leaping for him and his mind reeled in disgust. Couldn't anyone see he was dying!? Couldn't they see Light was acting!?!

"Ryuzaki!?!"

_'That was it, just keep up the charade,'_ he thought. Hearing was becoming more difficult; everything except his pain seemed as if it was being slowly erased. All but that and Light's sneering face…did he even care anymore? L…he was still alive. Surely his death was not in vain because L could still go after Kira, but he couldn't help but feel bitter toward his superior. Had L known he might be killed? Had he took the coward's way out and saved himself? Did he think so little of his heirs?

'_Light Yagami……!'_

He wanted to say it, that L was still alive, that he had switched places with the real L. He wanted to say that he was Near, L's successor, that Kira had not won yet, to wipe that goddamned _smirk_ off his face!!

'_I knew it…' _he thought instead, _'I wasn't…wrong…But…I…'_

He had failed. It was as simple as that. No matter how much it pained him, no matter how much it stung his pride…nothing would matter in a moment or two. He was dying…no, he was murdered…murdered by Light Yagami…by Kira…he could hear screaming…

'_I'm sorry…L…I failed you…'_

Those words…they held some significance. They had some meaning…such a pity that he didn't care to recall. Such a pity it was that he could barely hear anymore…he was drifting…drifting into an unknown place. The pain was gone now as he felt his heart fail to beat. Kira's voice was still screaming somewhere in the distance, but he couldn't tell…no, he couldn't remember what significance that held anymore either. The blackness that was consuming him now that his eyes were finally closed…that was all that mattered now. And yet, in reality, did it really matter at all?

A/n- so I've gotten to the part that I wanted to. Sorry it's taken so long for an update. Love to all of you who put up with me all these months and kept reading. More to come!! I APPLIED TO COLLEGE BxxxxES!!!!!


	4. Remorse

A/n- a present for those of you who are still reading. ILY!! (please reply)

**Chapter 4- Remorse**

Twenty days, eighteen hours, thirty-one minutes, and thirty-two seconds had passed since L, or rather, Near, had been killed, murdered by Kira. But Near did not need to hear this from Roger; he had known as soon as it happened. Those twenty days were spent wallowing in guilt; Near confined himself to his room, counting down the seconds he had to wash away this feeling. He knew once the seconds ran out he would be called upon to become L's successor and for that moment he had to be in perfect character. The chances were that Mello would be too emotional to notice a lapse, but now that the real Near was dead…L owed him that much to honor his memory. He would, therefore, continue to perfectly conduct things as Near, as if Near hadn't died.

But the truth of the matter was that Near _did_ die. L knew…being the only one _to_ know made it that much harder to accept. Had he done the right thing? Should he have switched places and took the coward's way out? No…the answer was he shouldn't have. The reality was that he did and that nothing he could do would change that. For the sake of Near and his foolish decision, L would avenge his death, make it so that Near did not die in vain. He owed the boy that much as well.

Yet now…L knew that Kira was Light Yagami. He had set up video surveillance inside the task force headquarters before he had made the switch and had been watching when Near was killed. He had seen Light's face, twisted and shadowed in evil. That smirk he wore sent shivers up L's spine every time he remembered it. Light was no longer human; he was a _monster_. It was up to L to slay him.

Any second now Roger would ask to speak with him and Mello. He looked up from the puzzle he was doing to watch the boy run by with a group of other orphans; Mello had always been the one to fit in with them. Near had always kept to the shadows, preferring to work and live alone. L wondered if he regretted doing that, now that he was truly alone wherever he was.

The laughter in the hall died down and Near heard one of the children greet Roger. It was almost time to slip into faked ignorance. As soon as Near picked up the puzzle pieces and nestled them safely in his hand, Roger appeared in the doorway with Mello in tow, just as he had suspected. He followed the two wordlessly, placing a slightly interested look on his face, even though the act still pained him. When they were alone in Roger's office, the old man sighed and addressed his two best students, resting a wrinkled chin on woven fingers.

"L is dead."

The look on Mello's face made Near want to jump up and deny the fact. He hadn't thought the boy would be that affected…though Mello had always been emotional. Near stayed silent as Mello demanded answers out of Roger, continuing to place puzzle pieces into the wooden frame; he always saved the 'L' for last, as some sort of odd habit.

"He promised he would see Kira dead!!! L was killed…? Are you sure?!!"

"Mello…"

That was enough. Emotion overflowed as Near grasped the now-finished puzzle and dumped its contents onto the floor, a deep frown on his face.

"If you can't beat the game, if you can't solve the puzzle, you're nothing but a loser."

Near said this as the last pieces of the puzzle fell to the floor. He felt numb; the board above his head felt out of reach even though he held it with his own hands. He was afraid to look at Mello's face, for fear of seeing his disgust because of that last statement. It was cruel of him to say such a thing, but it was something Near would have said. A sick feeling in his stomach, Near placed the board on the ground and began remaking the puzzle with steadied hands.

"…so then which of us did L…"

The puzzle pieces clacking seemed to echo in L's ears; the guilt he felt was still so overpowering. He could face this situation alone, but Mello was making it so damn _hard_!

"Neither of you, yet…" Roger answered, peering above his spectacles to the boy in front of him, "He can't choose, now that he's dead…" The old man continued as Mello stared at him, the realization still sinking in for the blond-haired one. "Mello, Near…how about you two work together…?"

"Yeah, sounds good," Near agreed, never looking up. Had he done so, he would have seen the hateful look Mello was shooting him at the moment.

"That's impossible, Roger…" Mello countered, "You know Near and I don't get along…we're always competing." The boy was silent for a moment, as if remembering some bad memory. When he continued, his voice was much lower, and held much more ice to it. "It's fine, Roger…Near can be L's successor. Unlike me, Near will calmly and unemotionally solve the puzzle."

Near placed the last puzzle piece in its spot once more, resisting the urge to look up, to say something, to reveal his identity.

"I'm going now…I'm leaving the orphanage too."

"Mello." Roger's voice was sad but he said nothing more; he too was refraining from letting L's secret slip.

"I'm almost 15 anyway, Roger," Mello replied as he turned away to walk out the door, "I'll live life my own way."

The door slammed behind the boy as he left the office and an eerie silence filled the small room. Near fingered the puzzle piece he had just placed down and then lifted his head to look Roger in the eyes. The old man stared back, his own filled with sorrow; Near knew the loss of one orphan cut deeply in the man's heart, and now another was leaving. Both Mello and Near had been special to him. Near blinked once, and then stood to exit as well, leaving the puzzle behind.

It turned out Mello had already left his room when he arrived, even though he had walked quickly. That meant Mello had foreseen his departure and had packed a bag in preparation. He had probably ran to his room and grabbed it; Near could see no other reason for his formidable lead. He glanced out the bedroom window to see Mello approaching the iron gate that stood before the institution. He would have to run to catch up, for Mello would not be able to hear him yell with the pouring rain in his ears.

His bare feet met the cold, wet ground as he burst through the front doors. He called out now, but he was still too far away to be heard. At least Mello was walking now; the boy didn't even have an umbrella, not to mention an idea as to where he was going.

"Mello!!" L bellowed again; he didn't care if his old voice escaped him at this moment. He couldn't let another of his heirs disappear; the solitude and guilt would drive him insane. That and…he needed help to bring Kira down.

Finally Mello turned around, visibly surprised to see his rival chasing him down in the rain. When Near drew closer, the boy's eyes widened, as if seeing something they hadn't before. The fact that Near would _never_ do something like this gave strength to this sudden and yet still undeveloped suspicion that something wasn't as it seemed.

"Mello, I have been deceiving you for the last couple weeks," L confessed, not bothering to disguise his voice.

"You…aren't Near…" Mello said, rain dripping into his face and streaming down his leather jacket. The rain muffled his words so that eavesdroppers would not be able to hear.

"No."

"Then that means…Near is dead."

L nodded, letting the sorrow and guilt he felt fill his face; knowing he was finally able to share it with someone calmed him some.

"I guess this means I'm number one now," Mello commented, though his voice failed to ring with victory.

"I am going to need your help as L's successor," L told the boy, watching as his face suddenly turned bitter, as if he regretted wishing to be number one before.

"I am still leaving," he announced, "I will contact you when I settle down."

Near nodded and watched as his rival, but also his friend, continued down the paved driveway. Only when the blond head was no longer visible did he return inside to dry off, his white suit stained gray with the rain.

A/n- I like this chapter…it shows the relationship between L and Mello. (apparently there is one even though I haven't read book 13 since it's not out yet). But other than that…I like this chapter because L doesn't have to lie…I like that he has the opportunity to tell the truth. Maybe I'm just a sap. T.T


	5. Setup

a/n- I'm so sorry this took so long! And it's been written for a while…sumimasen!! (bows)

**Chapter 5: Setup**

The days at Wammy's institution passed with somber footsteps following each and every member. Though the public didn't know L was supposedly dead, those inside the stone walls carried the secret in their hearts as they would the world on their shoulders.

Near had long since left, having chosen to follow Mello's lead and leave the orphanage behind; it wasn't the place to run an investigation anyway. He had gotten permission from the President of the United States to conduct his own case on Kira, received a handful of men to help, and had proceeded to move to Japan to do so. Mello and him had kept in contact and had consistently shared their views on Kira's movements. Though it seemed Kira wasn't making many that were worth looking into. Near guessed that back with the task force, now that Light was undoubtedly the new so-called 'L', the case had run as dry as his own. But Near also knew that a move had to be made soon; now that intelligence told him Light was legally in the police force, Kira would try something. If not, then it was up to Near to give him a push.

Unfortunately, soon after his so-called death, the Kira task force moved to a different location, and so now his surveillance was useless. So he couldn't use Light's plans against him…he would therefore have to come up with something brilliant to put himself in a relatively trustworthy position to Kira and also to Light…

Perhaps he had an idea after all.

L sat in his hotel suite, alone, with both knees drawn to his chest in order to think better. If he could draw Kira out and use himself as bait, Light would definitely rise to the challenge. But that victory was far away at the moment. He would have to build up to it in order to make his plan usable first.

He pushed the intercom button next to him that had an M on it and spoke into the microphone, wondering if Mello was there listening on the other end of the transmitter.

"Mello, do you think you can come to Japan?" he asked, knowing how ridiculous this sudden request sounded.

"Sure. Guess this means you have a plan?" Mello responded a moment later, audibly snacking on a chocolate bar as he spoke.

"Yes," he confirmed, confident in his answer.

"Then I'll be there."

Needless to say, just because Light had no idea he existed, it didn't mean he could sit back and have a picnic, particularly one with foods containing high amounts of sugar. No, now that he was off the map, his job as L was even busier than before. He had tapped into the surveillance of any and all public (or private for that matter) cameras he could find. He programmed the monitors to track Light's face, or the faces of the rest of the task force. He had included Misa in this list, knowing that where she was, Light was not far away. That and it was a given that she was and remained the Second Kira.

Next it was phone taps: he had set up a system that would record any conversations about Kira, or conversations in which key words such as: 'L', 'Light', 'Misa', any other name of the task force, or any of a long list L had typed in. The conversations with more of these key words, for example, one with the words, 'Death note', 'Shinigami', and 'Light', would be flagged with a red tracer and he would listen to these. So far though, no one in the task force, Kira, Misa, or Light had used a public phone line. L felt certain that at some point in time, this would happen. When it did, it would end up being the Trojan Horse he needed to catch Kira.

But there was only so far surveillance could go. He could record all he wanted, but that still did not mean he would get anything. Also, there was too much information to be sifted through properly. Having a group of about three dozen FBI agents helped, but L knew that putting his faith in them (though he had none whatsoever) would not suffice. He had told them what to look for when sifting through the phone records, namely anything suspicious, Light's voice, Misa's voice, the voices of the task force, any voice that was scrambled (though on a public line it was unlikely) and so on and so forth.

There was a growing problem that had nothing to do with the fact that L had no idea where Light was and no evidence to arrest him if he did. The newest problem was one much more serious and was happening much faster than he had deemed possible. The people of this world, the Japanese in particular, were rapidly accepting Kira as King of the Earth and were treating his words as laws. The News no longer reported happenings around the world, it now only posted criminals and their crimes. L's eyes burned with fury as he watched it; they were making it so much easier for Light!!

The one thing that was trickier to tap into was the Internet. For a while, L didn't do much past Google Kira. But once he saw the News and how it had changed, he opted to put more effort into controlling the web. Apart from the millions of forums that merely swooned over Kira, there were only a dozen or so websites that were organized and posted good information about criminals. These websites also preached Kira's ideas, encouraging more to join his regime and help give him classified information. Though it shocked everyone else, L started by joining all the websites that seemed legit.

All of them required a name and photograph to join; clearly Light was behind this. Unfortunately for L, he could not use the alias Near anymore because Nate River was dead; if Misa had the eyes, she might be able to tell if he was dead. That and, if the name written in the Death Note by the Shinigami Rem was the same as that posted on the websites, Light would know it was him. This was where Mello came into play. L knew he needed a traitor in Kira's army in order to win in the end. He set his trap now so that he would be ahead of Light when the fate of the world became a contact sport.

Again, L felt an immense amount of regret using Mello as bait, even though his heir had agreed to his plan. Even if all went right, he would never be in danger. The key to this last plan was that Mello would eventually be contacted by Kira, who would then pass the Death Note on to Mello to do his bidding. But before that happened, L would have to close in on Light.

The last thing L did was to place trackers, or 'cookies' as the computer nerds called them, on each website he deemed important enough. But these cookies did not come from a mix; these were home made by L, who gave them quite a few tasty quirks. For example, they would track everyone who came onto the website and more importantly, anyone who logged in whose computer blocked the cookie would be tagged. L knew that Light's computer would have firewalls strong enough to withhold his own hacking. That meant, if he found, by chance, a computer his cookies could not enter, he would know which website Kira was focusing on. He would be able to, therefore, conduct most of his activities on that website.

It didn't take long for Kira to fall into this trap. He found the website within hours, recognizing it immediately as one of the first Pro-Kira sites that had appeared: . Using Mello's real name and picture as his profile and the long list of classified criminals he had brought down in his career, it would not be difficult to quickly become one of the more trusted members of the Kira Regime. That and the profile he constructed about Mello was, not to sound egotistical, genius. He reread it with a wide grin.

**Mihael Keehl: **

**23 years old. As an orphan, I envy those who have parents because mine were killed when I was very young in a bank robbery. Kira punished those who killed what were mine. They who ruined my life. All I have now is my King, Kira, the only God who understands my suffering and my gratitude. This is why I am doing everything in my power to help him. **

**Not long ago, I worked in a small branch of the FBI as a minor investigator. I had entered to bring justice to the world and all I found was a group of complete **_**morons**_** that insisted on going after Kira, the only one of us who was doing right in the world. While the elite agents did that, I was stuck sifting through petty thieves and entering their records into the computer. Not what I had in mind when I decided to help rid the world of evil. **

**That is why I quit. And that is why, on quitting, I liberated a large file of criminals whom Kira has never heard of, who he doesn't even know exist. These are criminals so guilty it is a wonder that they were not given the death sentence. But there you have the mindless rodents of the FBI. They are only capable of gathering information, apparently. This is where Kira comes in. Give them what they deserve, my King!!**

Under Mello's name was a picture of him and under the profile was a picture of one of the many criminals L had on his list. Indeed, it was truly a masterpiece worth framing. Hopefully Light would think so too. If it were L and he were Kira, he would take the bait. That was what he surmised. But would Light think it was too good to be true? Would he be suspicious? L didn't think so, but he still hoped not.

Everything rode on this set-up; if _it_ failed, Kira would very likely become paranoid and go into hiding. It was what L did in response to a threat against his life, after all.

Now that all the surveillance he could possibly achieve had been arranged, L sat in front of the computer, Kira's website on the screen, waiting. On the outside he seemed patient, but this was anything but true; inside he was simmering. A thousand things ran through his head as he thought over his plan, what he had done, analyzing all manner of scenarios that could occur. The question was, what _would_?

Frowning, he closed his eyes for a minute. There was nothing to worry about, he assured himself. Kira was logical. He would take the simplest but best course of action. L had provided it for him. It was so cut and dry…perhaps that was what worried him. Then again, he reminded himself, Kira did not know he was alive. That in itself upped his chances of success phenomenally. After thinking this, he returned to his old motto, the one that had gotten him through years of detective work and countless arrests: 'Go with the plan and improvise along the way. Be confident and cautious but know when to make your final move.' During these years of detective work, it had become more than a motto—it had become a way of life.

He opened his eyes with renewed assurance to see the Kira web page reloading. Elated, he shifted his position in his seat and leaned closer to the screen. Within a matter of seconds the computer was finished and now he looked at a reply from Kira himself. Though it was obviously under a pseudonym, L could tell from the alarm icon in the corner of his screen that the user had blocked his tracking cookie. L read the message and grinned; Light was so confident that his identity was concealed that he didn't even bother hiding who he was. Of course, Light believed that no one but Mihael Keehl was reading his message.

**RE:**

**Terrance Smith:**

**I found your profile most interesting, but when I tried to follow it up to see if you were speaking the truth, I could not. I find it interesting that you have no pictures or information of yourself elsewhere on the web. One might even say it was suspicious.**

The grin on L's face broadened; this had been exactly the message he was looking for. It was of the type that would lead to Kira's complete trust and admiration. He ran his thumb across his teeth for a moment while pondering his answer.

**RE:RE:**

**Mihael Keehl:**

**I don't blame you in the least when you say this is suspicious of me. To be truthful, my dream is to become Kira's right hand servant. I know from working in the FBI that the search for Kira is far from over. The United States have started an investigation and have purposely kept this secret from the Japanese Task Force, though I don't know why. What I do know is that if I spread my face on the Internet, I can be found. That and I stole valuable information from them. I would much like to avoid being arrested at least until I can pass it along to my King. **

**After tonight I will change my profile so as not to draw attention. I don't need it anymore, not since I've found my King.**

L sat back from the keyboard after rereading his handiwork and pressing send. He drummed his fingers on the mouse, waiting impatiently for another reply, not even trying to contain this particular emotion. Four minutes passed and then the reply came.

**RE:RE:RE:**

**Terrance Smith:**

**I understand.**

**maybe After tomorrow We can meet Somewhere. I Regret that i Might not be able To. Let Me Give you my ****Phone number****: 888-369-4027.**

It was all L had to do to keep from laughing out loud. This was too easy! Obviously the number was a fake; this was why the words 'phone number' were in bold, in order to convey this message. The real number was in the message itself. Knowing Light's tactics and the notes Kira sent to taunt him before, it took only half of the first sentence to notice a dramatic difference in behavior. By the time he read the entire thing, he knew that he had achieved the first part of his plan sooner than he had expected. It was not hard to identify the genuine contact information. The capitalized words in the separated message amounted to the number of digits in a phone number. All L had to do was look at his cell phone to see which letters corresponded to what number. The real number was: 297-768-5647, respectively.

The fact it said, 'maybe after tomorrow we can meet', and, 'I regret that I might not be able to' told L that he wasn't going to be contacted until he needed to be, meaning that he was someone to turn to if things turned bad. The second reason the words 'phone number' were bolded was because Kira expected to receive one back. L gave it to him, using one of the several cell phones he kept just for these types of occasions. After that, he changed his profile and logged off to contact Mello.

There was a pause on the other side of the line while Mello thought over all that L had just told him. The silence unnerved the famous detective; his entire plan revolved around Mello's help. If he pulled out now, how would he be able to improvise convincingly?

"Everything is in motion now?" Mello asked then.

"We'll see. I'll wait a few weeks before contacting Light as Near. Before that though, I need to find out where he is."

"Why don't you go to the Police Headquarters and ask?" Mello suggested, "Because it seems to me that Light isn't going to broadcast his whereabouts anytime soon."

"…"

L thought this over, though it wasn't the first time he had done so. He had been thinking of doing this eventually, in order to push Light into a corner so that Kira would contact Mihael Keehl. If he contacted Light that way, he would have to tell him that he was L's heir. He would also have to mention that he was part of the FBI's investigation on Kira. These were all things he was planning on telling Light anyway when he contacted him, so nothing would be lost there. The only thing he was afraid of was the fact he would be showing his face to Light; would he notice the similarities and find them suspicious? If he played his role the way he should, this wouldn't happen, but he couldn't very much change his face without plastic surgery and that was undesirable to him. That and if Light had surveillance Misa could find out his name and write it down in the notebook. Though, would the fact that she would be thinking of Near's face cause the Death Note not to work? But then Light would really get suspicious. The only way to do this right was to cover his identity by any means necessary; it was part of the improvising. It was a risk, but one he had to take. Besides, if he put Mello out in the line of fire and stayed on the sidelines himself, he would only give himself a headache from the mounting guilt.

"Well?" Mello pushed.

"Yes, I believe that would be a…rewarding course of action."


End file.
